St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-13

refrained during this time from molest-
ing the party of whites. After that,
however, for weeks, and even months,
the garrison was in constant state of
siege. portion of the inmates acting as
sentries, or skirmishers, on the out
skirts, while the balance builtAwalls and
blockhouses, digging pits and trenches
until the fort was completed. 1t was
strongly built, being surrounded by
high stockade of timber, and having
block houses and covered passage ways
in the interior. Besides full supplyof
the most modern firearms, the pioneers
had also brought along with them small
siX-pound canon. The latter how
ever, was of but little practical service,
except to make noise and waste gun
powder. After being beSiegedl in Fort
PeaSe for some time it became evident
to our adventures that further supplies
of provisions, ammunition, ETC., would
be necessary to hold out against the
besiegerS, and it was, therefore, deemed
important that some one of these dar-
ing pioneers should volunteer to run
the gauntlet and secure not only an
ample supply of provisions and AM
munitiOn, but reinforcements also. 1t
was 800 miles to BOZeman, the nearest
place of relief, and over lonely, wild
country, infested by savages,
but Paul Mccormick cheerfully
volunteered to make the danger
Gus trip alone. Leaving the
fort by dusk and travelling mostly by
night, in ten days he was at BOZeman,
ana secured not only plenty of neces-
saries for the garrison. but organized
quite little company of recruits, and
with the stealth of wild animal they
slipped down the river and succeeded in
gaining the fort without any loss. Soon
after it was found necessary that another
trip should be made, and again McCOr-
mick passed through the Indian lines
alone, and returned again in safety.
| Then he at various times slipped out OF
! the fort by night, and after killing a
deer or an elk the next day at some great
! distance off, would return in the same
manner to supply the inmates with fresh
venisOn. So daring were his featS that
his companions had concluded that he
was in reality insensible to fear.
1t would take very large volume to
relate all the experiences of this brave
little band of heroes and commemorate
their many sufferingS and prIvations,
and how that their herOiSm, reaching
Washington, enlisted the sympathies OF
the government, which at once DIS
patched thither troops and rescued
them, and eventually, at azlater period,
brought about the termination of the
Sioux war, resulting in the opening up
for settlement by the whites the entire
Yellowstone country.
One evening, after nearly week s
cessation of firing by the Indians on
Fort PeaSe, and none of them having
been seen in the vicinity of the fort fol-
days, Mccormick told some of his COM
paniOns that he proposed to venture out
early in the morning on horseback and
ascertain if there were really any In
dams still in the locality. His friends
warned him of the danger, but he
secuted their warnings, and persisted
despair, intimating loudly that they
would never see him again alive. --
True to his determination, the next
morning found him ready for the trip.
One of his comrades, realizing the risk
Mccormick would undergo alone, vol
unteered to accompany him, and at the
first approach of daylight the gate was
opened and the two hOrSemen quietly
departed. the OminOuS warnings of theiI
companions still ringing in their ears
Proceeding up and down the valley,
which is here wide bottom, they failed
to discern the slightest signs of Indians
and accordingly came to the conclusion
that the Sioux had abandoned the
siege. Before returning, however
curiosity led them to make recon
naiSSance to cOulee which came down
from the foothills, and while passing
along this shallow cOulee Mccormick
companion remarked that he saw some
thing like the tracks of Indians in the
sand only short distance away, and
begged Mccormick to come and see
just at that moment a whole swarm OF
Savages rose up from behind the sage
bush and emptied avolley from theil
rifles. The distance was less than
twenty feet, but evidently the aim OF
the Indians was very poor, owing tt
their haste and excitement. McCOr
mick'S companion was badly wounded
and his horse, instead of making to
ward the fort, rushed among the
savageS, and the rider was, OF
course, lost. Mccormick, however
wheeled his own horse toward the fort
and dashed back in the greatest haste
being surrounded by the red devils, who
seemed to rise up out of the earth OF
all sides, shooting and giving unearthly
wells. Mccormick, being mounted on &
fine charger, quickly passed the Indian:
on foot. but was suddenly confronted
by two Indian hOrsemen, who, in some
unaccOuntable manner. had got between
him and the fort. Mccormick horse
being very swift enabled him to pas,
one of them, though the Indian
gave him a terrible blow on the
Shoulders, his rifle having been emp
tied when Mccormick was approaching
The other hOrseman was now across hi.
path and waiting his turn but, being
under considerable excitement, his gun
though so close to McCOrmick'S face
that his flesh was filled with powder
failed to do any harm, and the occupant:
of the fort, having heard the firing, now
rushed out to protect their cOmrade, anC
one of the Indians was shot and hi:
scalp taken. But, poor Mccormick
his terrible scare during that brief space
of time had nearly unnerved him
Never was there exhibited more awful
picture of fright than was por
trayed on his countensnce on reaching
the stOckade. Hair erect, pale as {
ghost, he quacked with such fear tina
he could not for long time give an,
account of his adventure. In fact, ht
presented pitable spectacle and die
not fully recover his senses for weeks
But the strangest affair of the Who'll,
occurrence was that his hair ant
whiskers, which had been of a jet blacl
color and glossy in appearance, durin!
that ten minutes of peril became whit,
as the driven snow, and the strange
could now easily mistake him for al
OctOgenarlan.
History la lgnatius DOnneIly.